South Africa - GINI index

GINI index (World Bank estimate)

The value for GINI index (World Bank estimate) in South Africa was 63.00 as of 2014. As the graph below shows, over the past 21 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 64.80 in 2005 and a minimum value of 57.80 in 2000.

Definition: Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.

Source: World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldban

See also:

• Thematic map
• Country comparison
• Country ranking
• More details
• Download data to Excel

Classification

Topic: Poverty Indicators

Sub-Topic: Income distribution